Travel guide to Zhangye, Gansu, see how beautiful Zhangye is!

I first went to Zhangye in 2010. That time I took the Gansu-Qinghai Ring Road. Later I visited Zhangye several times. I checked a lot of information about Zhangye, went to many places in Zhangye and tasted a lot of Zhangye’s specialties, so this article is all about Zhangye. It is full of useful information about Zhangye tourism. Zhangye, on the Silk Road, is one of the four counties in Hexi, "the arm of Zhangye to connect the Western Regions". On both sides of the Heishui River, it is Ganzhou's "land of plenty" with "sweet springs everywhere". From the desolation of the Han Dynasty to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, from the colorful Danxia landforms to the rolling Qilian Mountains to the Shandan Army Horse Farm where horses gallop. There are snow-capped mountains on the grasslands and deserts beside the clear water. Zhangye has both Jiangnan charm and fortress style, but it is a good place for travel.

 

story

"Zhang Guo's arm fluid is used to connect the Western Regions": This is Zhangye!

You may not know much about Zhangye, but you may have heard the song "Losing me in the Qilian Mountains will make my animals unable to live; losing me in the Yanzhi Mountains will make my married woman colorless." The origin of this song is in Zhangye .

During the Western Han Dynasty, in 121 BC, the 19-year-old hussar general Huo Qubing marched to Hexi and defeated the Xiongnu. King Hunxie and Xiutu led their troops back to the Han Dynasty. The Huns lamented about this, "Losing me in the Qilian Mountains will make my six animals unable to live; losing me in the Yanzhi Mountain will make my married woman colorless." Because there is a kind of grass called red and blue grass growing in Yanzhi Mountain, and the flowers bloomed by this grass are called red and blue flowers, which can be used to make rouge. Without Yanzhi Mountain, their women would not have such cosmetics.

In the sixth year of Yuanding of the Han Dynasty (111 BC), the Hexi Corridor was firmly controlled by the Han Dynasty, and Chang'an began trade with the countries in the Western Regions. Therefore, Zhangye County was established, which means "the arm of Zhang State to connect the Western Regions". . This is the origin of the name Zhangye.

During the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, Juqu Mengxun established the Northern Liang Kingdom in Zhangye, vigorously developed agriculture, promoted Confucianism, expanded cultural exchanges with other countries in the Western Regions, inherited and carried forward Chinese culture, promoted Buddhism, translated Buddhist scriptures, dug grottoes, and used local music, songs and dances Combined with Qiuci music to create new music "Qin and Han Dynasties" and other music, Zhangye culture showed unprecedented prosperity and became the center of Buddhism in northern China. During the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-535), "Qin and Han Music" was introduced to the Central Plains, called "Xiliang Music", and became the "State Music" of the Northern Dynasty court; Zhangye's Buddhist music was introduced to the Central Plains, called "Xiliangzhou Bai", and became Dharma music in Buddhist temples in the Northern Dynasties. It was during this period, in the third year of the Western Wei Dynasty (554), that Zhangye was renamed "Ganzhou" because of the sweet springs in its territory.

In Zhangye during the Tang Dynasty, "fields were opened to maximize the benefits of water and land, and the rice harvest was abundant, with dozens of dendrobiums being harvested, and military supplies were accumulated for decades." Zhangye's economy was extremely prosperous, and Hexi's international trade status reached an unprecedented peak. Economic prosperity promotes cultural prosperity. After Ganzhou music "Bolomen Buddhist Song" was introduced to the court, it was transformed into the famous "Nancy Dress and Feather Dress Dance" by Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. After Ganzhou's frontier fortress songs flowed into the Central Plains, they became the most popular songs in Jiaofang. The lyrics and tunes named after "Ganzhou Po", "Ganzhou Zi", "Ba Sheng Ganzhou", "Ganzhou Song", etc. are widely spread. In the Song Dynasty, Liu Yong wrote a famous poem that has been passed down through the ages with the lyrics of "Ba Sheng Ganzhou". It can be said that Zhangye has a history of economic and cultural prosperity since ancient times.

Zhangye is located in the northwest of Gansu Province, in the middle section of the Hexi Corridor. It was called "Ganzhou" in ancient times, and the name "Gan" of Gansu Province comes from here. Zhangye City has a permanent population of 1.31 million. There are 38 ethnic groups including Han, Hui, Tibetan, and Yugu. Among them, the Yugu are the only ethnic minority in China that live concentratedly in Zhangye.

Zhangye City is a national historical and cultural city, an important town on the ancient Silk Road, an important thoroughfare of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge, an excellent tourist city in China, the Heihe River, the second largest inland river in the country, runs through the entire territory, and is the commercial grain base of Gansu Province. It has been " It has the reputation of "Golden Zhangye and Silver Wuwei". Zhangye has Asia's largest military horse farm, Shandan Army Horse Farm, the national wetland reserve Heihe Wetland Park, and Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, which was rated as one of the top ten magical geographical wonders in the world by the US National Geographic magazine.

This is Zhangye.

 

Attractions

"Colorful Danxia Scenic Area"

 

 

Generally, when traveling to Zhangye for the first time, you will go to the Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot, which is 40 kilometers away from the city.

Danxia geological structure is formed by rock accumulation. It refers to the long-term weathering and stripping of red sandstone and water erosion, combined with the influence of special geological structure, climate change, wind and other natural environments, forming isolated peaks and steep strange rocks. It is mainly developed in the horizontal or gently inclined red strata from the Jurassic to the Tertiary. It is the general name for various Danxia peaks developed along vertical joints in the thick red sand and conglomerate layers. Zhangye Qilian Mountain Danxia is mainly composed of red gravel, sandstone and mudstone. It has obvious imprints of arid and semi-arid climate. It is very unique with cross-bedding, steep walls, vertical joints and colorful colors.

Zhangye Danxia is the only complex area of ​​Danxia landform and colorful hilly landscape in China. It was selected as one of the "Seven Most Beautiful Danxias in China". In 2011, it was named one of the "Top Ten Magical Geographic Wonders in the World" by the National Geographic magazine.

 

 

Tickets:

Tickets for Zhangye Danxia Geopark are (Colorful Danxia: 74 yuan, consisting of two parts: ticket 54 yuan + sightseeing car 20 yuan), Binggou Danxia: 60 yuan, consisting of two parts: ticket 40 yuan + battery car 20 yuan, Colorful Danxia Tickets for Xia Xia and Binggou Danxia can be purchased separately).

Colorful Danxia can enter the scenic spot again early the next morning. When buying the ticket, remember to tell the conductor to stamp it for the next day to enter the park, and rush in before eight o'clock the next day.

transportation:

1. Take the bus from Zhangye to Danxia at Zhangye West Bus Station. It takes about half an hour and the one-way fare is 10 yuan. You can buy return tickets at Zhangye West Station. You can take any bus returning before 18:00, or you can buy tickets at Danxia Station.

2. Chartering a car in Zhangye costs about 100 yuan.

Entrance:

There are three entrances to Colorful Danxia: West Gate (Nantai Village), North Gate (Qicai Town), and East Gate (Sunan County). The west gate and east gate are the old gates, and the north gate is the newly opened main entrance. It is very close to the west gate. The parking lot is large and lively.

Relatively speaking, the west gate and north gate have more convenient transportation, while the east gate is more remote. After entering the scenic area, the distance traveled by shuttle buses is also far. Moreover, due to the small number of tourists, the shuttle bus runs every hour.

Observation deck:

Observation Deck No. 1, the colorful cloud sea platform, is close to the west gate (big scallop, monks worshiping Buddha and other attractions).
Observation Deck No. 2, the Colorful Fairy Terrace, is close to the west gate (there is some backlighting at sunrise, so you can experience a helicopter here.)
Observation Deck No. 3, the Colorful Cloud Terrace, is close to the North Gate (National Geographic Magazine The scenery here is used above).
Observation Deck No. 4, Colorful Deck, is close to the North Gate (recognized as the best view, best for watching at sunset, where you can see the landscape of Daoshan Mountain and Sea of ​​Fire. There are also landscapes such as the Red Cliff Great Wall, Silk Road and Sky Road).
Observation Deck No. 5, Colorful Splendid Deck (there is some backlighting at sunrise, so you can see the pork belly landscape here).

Note: The above 1-4 observation decks are the four stations where the shuttle bus will stop. No matter which door you enter, you will stop at these four stations. The difference is that the order of visit is different.

Observation deck order:

North gate: 2, 3~1~5~4.
Ximen: 1～5～4～2,3.
East Gate: 2, 3~1~5~4.

No matter which door one enters, the shuttle bus will rotate counterclockwise. This has the advantage that during the visit, no matter which door one enters, everyone can sit on the bus. However, please note that at Site 4, after the visit, you can no longer sit casually. If you come in through that door, look for the car through that door.

postscript:

 

The best time to see the colorful Danxia is when the rain has passed and the sky is clear. After being washed by the rain, the colors become more vivid and distinct. However, sunny days are rare after rain, and sunny days are not bad, but the effect of cloudy days will be greatly reduced.

During the day, the effect is best at sunrise and sunset, so there is a rule to re-enter the park the next morning. However, the light at sunrise is weak and it is backlit, so the scenery is worse. From my point of view, unless there are special needs, it is not necessary to enter the park again.

"Binggou Danxia Scenic Area"

 

 

Known as the "Red Cliffs and Thousands of Rennes", it is rated as one of the "Top Ten Geographical Wonders in the World". Daxitian is the essence of the scenic area. The main attractions include the Paradise Palace, Whispering Palace, Liuli Palace, Buddha Mother Vajra and many other places. It is quite spectacular and red in color, making it a popular photo spot for photography enthusiasts.

Binggou Danxia is dominated by sandstone landform relics. It is the geological and landform relic with the best development and largest scale of window lattice-shaped palaces in China. It is the geological naming place of "window lattice-shaped palace-style Danxia" and is rated as "window-lattice-shaped palace-style Danxia". Xia landform ranks first in China.” Danxia cliffs, stone walls, stone pillars, pinnacles, hills and other landforms are widely distributed in the scenic area. They are steep, straight, continuous and majestic.

 

Tickets:

Tickets for Binggou Danxia: 60 yuan, consisting of 40 yuan for tickets and 20 yuan for battery cars.

transportation:

Take the bus to [Binggou Danxia] from Zhangye West Bus Station. Departure time: 7:30 am – 6:30 pm, fare: 11 yuan, get off at the entrance of Binggou Danxia Scenic Area.

"Mati Temple Scenic Area"

 

 

Matisi Temple is located in Sunan Yugu Autonomous County, Gansu Province, 65 kilometers north of Zhangye City. It is a tourist area integrating grotto art, Qilian Mountain scenery and Yugu customs. The Matisi Grottoes were excavated during the Northern Liang period of the Sixteen Kingdoms. It has a history of more than 1,600 years.

The grottoes are composed of Shengguo Temple, Puguang Temple, Thousand Buddha Cave, Jinta Temple, Upper, Middle and Lower Guanyin Cave, with a total of more than 70 cave niches. They were first built in Beiliang. The earliest of these grottoes was built in the Jin Dynasty. It was built by Guo Yu from Dunhuang and his disciples. It was first used as a secluded lecture place, and later generations added statues of Buddha. At its peak, there were more than 300 monks. Horseshoe Temple is named after the legendary horse's hoof prints left when drinking water here. The legendary horseshoe imprints exist in the Horseshoe Hall of Puguang Temple and have become a treasure of the temple. If you want to know more information about Matisi Temple, you can search it yourself.

Mati Temple has a huge grotto temple complex, and the multiple grotto Buddha statues carved on the stone walls are very magical and spectacular. There are not only Chinese Buddhist monasteries and Tibetan Buddhist temples, but also many legendary and historic sites such as Tianma hoofprints, Yuan Dynasty murals, and Buddha statues. The North Temple is now open to the public. The main areas worth visiting include Thousand Buddha Caves, King Gesar Hall, Thirty-Three-Day Buddha Caves and other areas. The Thirty-Three-Day Buddha Cave is the most important building of the Matisi Temple. A seven-story stepped building was excavated along the mountain, and you can see many ancient Buddha statues.

 

Tickets: 74 yuan.

transportation

At the South Bus Station, you can take the tourist bus to Matisi Temple. It will arrive at Thirty-Third Day Square of Matisi Temple in 1-2 hours. The shuttle bus departs at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 16:30 every day. There is one class each, and the fare is 11.5 yuan/person. There are two shuttle buses back to Zhangye. The time is not fixed. You need to ask when you get on the bus. It is approximately between 16:30 and 17:00. The fare is 11 yuan/person. Round trip 21.5 yuan/person.

 

"Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon"

 

 

Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon is about 60 kilometers away from Zhangye city. It is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Zhangye Landscape Grand View Garden! Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon is a unique red layer landform landscape, integrating natural wonders and canyon exploration.

Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon has gone through hundreds of millions of years of wind, rain and vicissitudes, and is a magical creation of nature.

 

Tickets: 100 yuan.

transportation

From Zhangye West Bus Station to Pingshan Lake, the fare is 14 yuan/person and the departure time is 9:45. For the return journey, wait for boarding at the Pingshan Lake intersection. The fare is 14 yuan per person and the return time is 16:40.

"Zhangye Great Buddhist Temple"

The urban area of ​​Zhangye City was built during the Yong'an period of the Western Xia Dynasty and has a history of more than 900 years. There is the largest indoor clay sculpture reclining Buddha in the country. The Buddha is 34.5 meters long and 7.5 meters wide at the shoulders. A person can lie flat on it with just his fingers. In addition to the Giant Buddha, there are many statues of the Ten Disciples and the Eighteen Arhats in the hall, as well as murals recording Journey to the West and the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

"Biandukou Tourist Area"

 

 

It is located in the middle section of the Qilian Mountains, 30 kilometers away from Minle County. The most famous tourist attractions are the Biandu Canyon, Batu Cave, Stone Buddha, Zhuge Monument and the pastoral scenery of Biyuntian and Huanghuadi. It’s best to go in June and July when the rapeseed flowers are in full bloom, it’s more beautiful.

 

It is recommended to take the Zhangye-Minle-Biandukou route. The scenery along the way is beautiful and the road conditions are also very good.

transportation

Zhangye East Station has direct express trains from Zhangye to Biandukou. The first bus from Zhangye is at 8:00 in the morning and the last bus is at Biandukou at 20:00! The bus from Minle to Biandukou starts at Minle South Station at 7:00 and lasts at Biandukou at 19:00.

 

"Shandan Army Horse Farm"

 

 

 

Shandan Army Racecourse is 130km away from Zhangye City and 50km away from Shandan County. Shandan Military Horse Farm was established by Huo Qubing and has a history of more than 2,100 years. It is the oldest horse farm in the world and the largest horse farm in the world. Many old movies have been filmed at the military horse farm, such as "The Wrangler" and "Princess Wencheng". "wait. The horse racing field is flat with luxuriant water and grass. The grass is green in summer and golden in winter. Horses were raised here as early as more than 3,000 years ago. Shandan Military Racecourse is divided into main field, first field, second field, third field and fourth field. The first and third fields have better scenery and more horses. From mid-to-late July to early August, you can see large swaths of rapeseed flowers on the road, and the various small flowers on the grassland bloom alternately in June, July and August.

 

transportation

Because the racecourses are far apart, make sure which racecourse you want to go to before buying a ticket.

1. Zhangye - Shandan: From Zhangye first go to Shandan, take a bus at Zhangye West Bus Station, 66 kilometers, 1 hour drive, 12.5 yuan/person, 7:00-14:50, one bus every 20 minutes, 15 :40-19:00, every 10 minutes.
2. Shandan-Junma Yiyi: There are two shuttle buses from Shandan County to Junma Yiyi. The first bus departs at 9:00 and returns from Yiyi at 13:20 p.m.; the second bus departs at 15:40 Departs and returns at 7:00 the next day. The drive takes 4 hours.
3. Shandan-Junma Sanchang: There is one shuttle bus from Shandan to Sanchang at 15:30, and two buses around 16:00. The journey takes 1-2 hours, and the 16:00 bus sometimes does not arrive at the venue, so be sure to ask before getting on the bus.

 

"Seventy-one Glacier"

 

The Qiyi Glacier is the glacier closest to the urban area in Asia, with an altitude of about 4,600m, and there is snow on the top of the mountain all year round.

 

Qiyi Glacier is currently closed to the public.

"Yanzhi Mountain Forest Park"

 

 

Yanzhi Mountain, also known as "Rouge Mountain", is located 45 kilometers southeast of Shandan County. It is said that there is a plant called red blue grass growing on the mountain, which can be made into red dye. After being mixed with oil, it can be used as rouge. , hence the name Rouge Mountain, a provincial forest park. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty once met with envoys from 27 countries in the Western Regions here and held the "Exposition of All Nations". Every year on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, there is the Shandan Yanzhi Mountain Temple Fair.

Tickets are 45 yuan/person, and scenic sightseeing cars are 10 yuan/person.

Transportation: You can take the tourist bus to Yanzhi Mountain in Shandan County (10:00).

"Kangle Grassland"

 

 

The total area of ​​grassland is 2.68 million acres, which is the habitat of the Yugu ethnic group. There are Danxia Geological Scenic Area, Machangtan Grassland, Kanglong Temple, Snow Mountain Adventure Tourism Area, Shiwo Meeting Site and other tourist attractions within the territory.

 

Tickets: 60 yuan.

 

"Zhangye Drum Tower"

 

 

 

It is a landmark building in Zhangye, you can visit it. Officially known as Zhenyuan Tower, commonly known as Drum Tower, it is located in the center of Zhangye, where four streets from east to west, north and south meet. It is the largest existing Drum Tower in the Hexi Corridor.

 

 

gourmet food

"Chicken Roll"

 

Rolled chicken is another representative food of Zhangye cuisine. It mainly consists of rolled noodles and served with chicken. It is one of the dishes that Zhangye people grew up eating. Whether it’s a holiday family gathering or a banquet to entertain relatives and friends, a chicken stuffed roll is a staple dish in Zhangye.

 

"Rubbing Fish Roe"

 

 

 

Rubbed fish roe is a traditional pasta snack unique to Zhangye. It is named because the shape of the finished product is thick in the middle and pointed at both ends, resembling a small fish. Although the method of rubbing fish is a little complicated, it tastes very good and delicious. It can be eaten dry or stir-fried.

 

"beef noodles"

 

 

There are also many kinds of noodles in Zhangye. You can choose a relatively old noodle restaurant, which makes delicious beef noodles and noodles.

 

Strategy

In-depth and comprehensive game guide

Play:

1. On the first day, you can go to Binggou Danxia Scenic Area in the morning and Colorful Danxia Scenic Area in the afternoon and evening. Visit Zhangye Drum Tower at night.
2. The next day, go to the Matisi Temple Scenic Area.
   
3. The third day, folk music-Biandukou-Shandan Army Racecourse.

The above attractions can be added or deleted according to the itinerary. Zhangye is usually the main check-in places such as Colorful Danxia, ​​Binggou Danxia and Matisi Temple. There are also places worth visiting such as Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon, Shandan Military Horse Farm and Biandukou.